These Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are the BEST cinnamon rolls EVER. They're soft and fluffy with a gooey brown sugar cinnamon filling, and frosted with a simple vanilla bean, cream cheese frosting. I mean. What in the world could be wrong with that?!
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What's better than a warm, homemade cinnamon roll? Nothing, I say. Absolutely nothing. They're warm and soft with that buttery cinnamon filling. Topped with copious amount of a vanilla bean, cream cheese frosting, and this recipe is the stuff dreams are made of.
I love making these around the holidays. It makes my house smell like love. If love was a smell, it's these rolls. I just don't know how else to put it.
But, don't worry. They're super easy to make. Do they take a minute? Yes. However, most of that time is spent during the rise and the baking. The dough is simple, the rolling is fun, and the frosting is just a simple mix in a bowl. And, every single person that tries this homemade cinnamon roll recipe will sing your praises. That much I can assure you of!
homemade cinnamon rolls ingredients
the dough:
- Whole Milk
- Active Dry Yeast
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Bean Paste
- Butter
- Bread Flour
- Kosher Salt
the filling:
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Kosher Salt
- Heavy Cream
the frosting:
- Vanilla Bean Paste
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Kosher Salt
- Powdered Sugar
how to make homemade cinnamon rolls
the dough
The first part of our Homemade Cinnamon Roll journey is the dough. It's a very simple dough. This is basically the mix-it-together-and-let-it-rise step.
Combine the warm milk and yeast in the bowl of the stand mixer. Let the yeast bloom - about 5-10 minutes or until it turns foamy. If the milk and yeast do not turn foamy, there is an issue and the yeast is more than likely dead. You need to throw it out and start over. This happened to me. That's why I'm mentioning it. Woof.
Next, add the very softened/almost melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl of the stand mixer. Whisk it just a bit to break things up, but don't worry about it being thoroughly combined. The dough hook is gonna do the rest of the work for us.
Add the bread flour and kosher salt to the mixer bowl. With the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer, mix the dough and let it knead for 8-10 minutes. The dough should be nice and uniform and not overly sticky.
Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1½ hours or until it has doubled in size.
Step one on our homemade cinnamon rolls journey is done!
the filling and bake
While the homemade cinnamon roll dough is rising, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and kosher salt for the filling.
Once dough has doubled in size, punch it down and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface until you achieve an approximate 12x18 rectangle. The dough needs to be about an ¼" thick.
Carefully, and with an offset spatula, spread the filling mixture over the dough leaving about a ¼" margin around the edge.
Roll up the dough tightly, starting with the long end that is closest to you. You should have a long, cylinder shape. Trim a bit off the ends to make the cylinder even. This is also to trim off the ends that don't have enough filling. We cannot have a cinnamon roll without cinnamon roll filling. Not on my watch.
Using unflavored floss, kitchen twine, or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 even rolls.
Line your 9x13 baking pan with parchment and evenly sprinkle the bottom with about a quarter cup of brown sugar. Place the rolls flat into the baking pan and carefully pour the warm heavy cream into the spaces between the rolls.
Let the rolls rise for the second time for about an hour or until the rolls have doubled in size.
Bake in preheated 350° oven for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are just golden. I like mine ever so slightly underbaked so that the dough stays soft and pillowy.
the frosting
All that needs to be done to make the most amazing homemade cinnamon roll frosting ever is to grab a hand mixer, a bowl, and the ingredients. Whip the cream cheese, butter, vanilla bean paste together. Starting with a cup of powdered sugar, slowly add it to the frosting mixture. You don't want to wear the powdered sugar.
Continue to add the powdered sugar until you achieve the level of sweetness you like. You can make it more sweet or less sweet. It's totally up to you! Finish with a healthy pinch of kosher salt.
Spread the frosting over the slightly cooled cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
recipe frequently asked questions
Why aren’t my homemade cinnamon rolls fluffy?
If your homemade cinnamon rolls did not end up fluffy or are dense, it is more than likely because the yeast did not activate and there was not a proper rise. Next time, ensure the yeast you are using is good. I also recommend using bread flour for this recipe to help with the fluffy dough.
What is the difference between active dry yeast and instant yeast?
Active dry yeast needs to be bloomed or activated. This will happen with the introduction of a warm, sugary liquid like whole milk. If the yeast is good, it will cause the liquid it's in to become foamy and bubbly.
Instant yeast can be added directly to ingredients without any activation or blooming.
tips and tricks
- Use bread flour for the recipe to ensure a fluffy dough.
- Use unflavored dental floss or kitchen twine to cut the Homemade Cinnamon Rolls without squishing the dough!
- If the cinnamon rolls start to become too brown during baking, cover loosely with a sheet of foil towards the end of baking.
- Make sure all of the ingredients are room temperature.
- Do not use cold heavy cream to pour in between the rolls. This can adversely affect the the second rise.
- After the rolls have cooled completely, cover and store in the fridge. Reheat with a damp paper towel in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
making overnight cinnamon rolls
To make overnight homemade cinnamon rolls, simply place in them, covered, in the fridge overnight after you prepare the recipe to the point of the second rise, but do not pour in the heavy cream.
The next morning, remove the rolls from the fridge and pour in the warmed cream around the rolls. Let this hang out on the counter top for 30 minutes to an hour. Bake and frost as instructed.
freezing the homemade cinnamon rolls
Make the homemade cinnamon rolls to the point of the second rise and do not add the heavy cream. Place them, not touching, into a pan and put them in the freezer for about an hour. Once the rolls are almost frozen, place them into a zip top bag and store in the freezer. They will stay good up to 3 months.
When you're ready to bake them, place them in the fridge to thaw out overnight. The next morning, place them into a baking pan, pour in the warmed cream, and allow them to rise. This will probably take about an hour. After this, bake and frost as instructed.
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If you guys make this Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup whole milk, warmed to 110°
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup butter, very softened almost melted
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 4¾ cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1¼ cup brown sugar reserve the ¼ cup for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup heavy cream, warm
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2½ cups powdered sugar more or less depending on how sweet you like it
- hefty pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
The Dough
- Combine the warm milk and yeast in the bowl of the stand mixer. Let this yeast bloom - about 5-10 minutes or until it turns foamy.
- Add the very softened butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of the stand mixer. Whisk it just a bit to break things up, but don't worry about it being thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour and kosher salt. With the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer, mix the dough and let it knead for 8-10 minutes. The dough should be uniform and not overly sticky.
- Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1½ hours or until it has doubled in size.
The Filling and Second Rise
- While the cinnamon roll dough is rising, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and kosher salt for the filling.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface until you achieve an approximate 12x18 rectangle. The dough needs to be about an ¼" thick.
- Gently, and with an offset spatula, spread the filling mixture over the dough leaving about a ¼" margin around the edge.
- Roll up the dough tightly, starting with the long end that is closest to you. You should have long, cylinder shape. Trim a bit off the ends to make the cylinder even. This is also to trim off the ends that don't have enough filling.
- Cut the cylinder into 12 equally sized rolls using unflavored dental floss, kitchen twine or a very sharp knife.
- Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Evenly sprinkle the bottom with the extra quarter cup of brown sugar. Place the rolls flat into the baking pan and pour the warm heavy cream into the spaces between the rolls.
- Let the rolls rise for the second time for about an hour or until the rolls have doubled in size.
- Bake in preheated 350° oven for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are just golden. I like mine ever so slightly underbaked so that the dough stays soft and pillowy.
The Frosting
- Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla bean paste together in a bowl with an electric hand mixer.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar to this mixture so you don't end up wearing most of it. Add a pinch of kosher salt.
- Smear it on the slightly cooled cinnamon rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. It makes my heart so happy! And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
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Rufus for Real is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Ann K Tepper says
# 1this is a lovely recipe. I have made it several times. Before 2nd rising, I froze the rolls for use later. When I needed them, I smeared a round cake pan w/butter & sprinkled w/brown suger. I let them thaw overnight in the fridge, rest & rise in a warm place then, baked as usual. I let them cool for just a few minutes before turning out onto my serving plate & I frosted them while still warm. Delish!!
Ann K Tepper says
# 1this is a lovely recipe. I have made it several times. Before 2nd rising, I froze the rolls for use later. When I needed them, I smeared a round cake pan w/butter & sprinkled w/brown suger. I let them thaw overnight in the fridge, rest & rise in a warm place then, baked as usual. I let them cool for just a few minutes before turning out onto my serving plate & I frosted them while still warm. Delish!!
Rufus says
I am so glad you liked them! This makes me so happy! Have a wonderful day!